Romeo and Juliet Secondary Character Essay

The role of secondary characters in works is to support and influence the protagonist and also to symbolically reveal behavioral patterns in human nature. Friar Lawrence in William Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, is an important secondary character and it is shown by how he influences the plot, the development of the main characters, and the play's theme.

Friar Lawrence's influence on the play brings the action to the dramatic end. Without the presence of Friar Lawrence in the play, tragedy would not have occurred. By marrying Juliet and Romeo, the Friar can be blamed for the two deaths in the end of the play; "But come, young waverer, come... for this alliance may so happy prove to turn your households' rancor to pure love" (II.iii.94). Friar Lawrence steers Romeo at an untimely point where Romeo is unsure about his position in love, and the Friar hopes that this marriage will have a positive effect on the feuding families. Another example of Friar Lawrence's influence on future events is when he gives Juliet the sleeping potion, which was supposed to be used for good intentions; however, the outcome turned bad. "And in this borrowed likeness of shrunk death... and then awake as from a pleasant sleep"(IV.i.107). By bringing the plan to life initially helping Romeo and Juliet be together, Friar Lawrence, whose primary goal was to end the feud, ended up contributing to the double suicide.

Friar Lawrence reveals the immaturity of Romeo, through Romeo's own actions. When Romeo first talks of his newfound love (Juliet), the Friar responds with "Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear, so soon forsaken? Young men's love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes"(II.iii.71). The Friar shows how Romeo does not love truly, but believes that Romeo

loves Juliet for her beauty. Romeo is also noted as a quick and impulsive man. Romeo not only falls in love quickly, but also...

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Author
William Shakespeare was born in Statford-upon-Avon on April 23 1564. He went to free grammar school in Stratford. It was a good school where he learned even Greek and Latin. But he didn’t go to college that’s so people thought he didn’t write his work, because apparently in that time if you didn’t go to college you weren’t smart enough to write such good books and plays.
He started getting famous in 1592 when he showed in his talent in writing plays London, suchHamlet, Romeo and Juliet, as you like it and more.
Summary
In the streets of Verona another brawl breaks out between the servants of the feuding noble families of Capulet and Montague. Benvolio, a Montague, tries to stop the fighting, but is himself embroiled when the rash Capulet, Tybalt, arrives on the scene. After citizens outraged by the constant violence beat back the warring factions, Prince Escalus, the ruler of Verona, attempts to prevent any further conflicts between the families by decreeing death for any individual who disturbs the peace in the future.
Romeo, the son of Montague, runs into his cousin Benvolio.. After some prodding by Benvolio, Romeo confides that he is in love with Rosaline, a woman who doesn’t like him back. Benvolio tries to convince him to forget this woman and find another, more beautiful one, but Romeo doesn’t listen.
Meanwhile, Paris, a kinsman...

...the play “Romeo and Juliet” written by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet meet and think that they are instantly in love leading them to their deaths because of their lack of knowledge of one another. Although Romeo and Juliet seem to be all grown up and ready to live alone together, they are not. They are two immature teenagers who are without common sense and by falling in love, have created a very dangerous situation for themselves and their families.
First of all, Romeo and Juliet were both too immature to realise that with deep love, comes a high risk of heartache. Capulet describes his daughter Juliet to Paris by saying “My child is yet a stranger in the world,/ She hath not seen the change of fourteen years,/ Let two more summers wither in their pride,/ Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.” (1.2.8-11). In this quote, Capulet, Juliet’s father, is expressing his thoughts about his daughter marrying Paris. He points out the fact that Juliet has not even reached her fourteenth year of life yet. She has not had enough experience. He thinks that two summers need to pass before Juliet is ready to handle the responsibility of living life through sickness and health with a man. Romeo and Juliet were in a “young love” state of mind. They wished to be with each other...

...tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet”, a pair of “star-crossed lovers take their life”. This event alone, however, is not the cause of just Romeo and Juliet, but all the people in the fair city of Verona. As W.H. Auden, a poet and critic, once wrote, “”Romeo and Juliet” is not simply a tragedy of two individuals, but the tragedy of a city. Everybody in the city is in one way or another involved in and responsible for what happens". The tragic ending to this proclaimed love story is an effect of an accumulated number of people, however indirectly. Three people that acted as catalysts to the toppling Dominoes are the Nurse, Mercutio and Paris.
The Nurse is an important figure in the tale. Not only is she the Capulet’s maid but she is Juliet’s mother figure as well, since Juliet’s own mother is somewhat distant. (quote). It is quite evident that Juliet trusts the Nurse with her life since she is the only Capulet that knows of the marriage between Juliet and Romeo. Not only does she know, but she acts as the messenger between the two, telling the time and place of the wedding and the results of a life-altering duel. Up until that point, the Nurse had proven to be worthy of Juliet’s trust. But, as fate starts to unfold, and the death of Tybalt and Mercutio leave Romeo banished, Juliet becomes heart-broken. Unknowingly worsening the...

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In the story, Romeo and Juliet, the two young lovers are destined to fall in love. The story, however, has a tragic ending. William Shakespeare foreshadows the theme of fate in the Prologue with the quote, “A pair of star crossed lovers take their life.” (Prologue, L6) Fate represents a greater power that predetermines events in their lives and is unchangeable. Back in William Shakespeare’s time, the Elizabethans believed that this power rules above everything and that everything is meant to happen. Their beliefs are the root of Shakespeare’s inspiration. Romeo and Juliet is a play plagued by a cruel overwhelming fate which causes the deaths of both of them.
It seems, the power of fate is inescapable during those times and Romeo and Juliet are its victims. The foreshadowing in the prologue already insinuates that Romeo and Juliet are destined for a bad fortune. The story points to a positive outcome to the unfortunate ending: the end of the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues. “Doth with their death bury their parent’s strife.” (Prologue, L.10) This quote supports the fact that the deaths of Romeo and Juliet were predetermined in order for the Capulets and Montagues to finally bury the hatchet. From the very first page of the play,...

...Contrast Essay: Romeo and Juliet
Often times people say that William Shakespeare was and still is a legend. They
are correct. It is amazing how Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet written
centuries ago can be better than Franco Zefferelli's movie production of Romeo
and Juliet, which had much better technology to work with only decades ago.
Although the movie appeared better, it left out some major parts. The play had
better mood and plot details which made it much more dramatic and by far a
better presentation.
One major difference between the play and the movie occurs in mood. An example
of this is the marriage scene. In the marriage scene of the play, Romeo and
Juliet act very serious. The reader can tell this by the way the two speak.
Romeo says that the Holy Words the Friar speaks can make something without an
equal (Act II, Scene 6, Line 4) which is a very intelligent thing to say.
Whereas, in the movie they kiss and giggle the entire time. This leads the
viewer to believe that Franco Zefferelli wanted the two to look like fools, that
they could not do anything the way it is normally done because they are children
in search of quick love. This is bad because it is not very realistic. In
real-life, young adults would take the matter seriously because they know it is
a major step in life. Because the play is not...

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to downfall, and therefore people must strike a balance between being impulsive,
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impulsiveness leads to tragedy.
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more summers wither in their pride/Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride"(Pg
27, Lines 10-11) because he wanted to look out for Juliet and wanted to make
sure she was ready. Though he did tell him to "woo her, gentle Paris, get her
heart;/My will to her consent is but a part" because he was still not passing up
this opportunity for his daughter. Capulet was also practical when Tybalt
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and kill Romeo, but Capulet thought for a second about the consequences. Tybalt
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endur'd"(pg. 57, Lines 77 & 78). In this scene Capulet prevented a huge
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...play Romeo and Juliet adolescents who lack the wisdom obtained from life experience and react with dramatic haste, failing to contemplate the possible risks consequences of their actions is revealed. Through this tale of love there are many events leading to the tragic endings of his two main characters, Shakespeare shows how if rationality and patience is not used it will lead to downfall. Many teenagers, four hundred years ago and to this day are like Romeo and Juliet; impulsive and do things with too much haste.
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